So What Does Indian National Security Advisor Have to do with Harley Davidson MotorCycles ?

So What Does Indian National Security Advisor Have to do with Harley
Davidson MotorCycles ?

The Indian Prime Minister has been praised by Indian security
strategists as ... "the most liberal economist you can think of".
So now it seems India is embarking on a grand plan for building
highway infrastructure to accommodate American Harley Davidson
motorbicycles.
Wikileaks cables show us that the most hilarious conversations about
our Prime Minister seem to be happening under the haze of so many
disconnected topics.
It really would be hilarious, if only it were not so petty, that the
Indian Prime Minister should be lobbied, via the Indian National
Security Advisor, for the import into India, of Harley Davidson
motorcycles by top American diplomats.
Still more symptomatic is that the Indian Prime Minister is applauded
not for being a safe guardian of Indian trade interests or of Indian
agriculturists but for being someone who would be inclined to favour
the American lobbyists with reduced duties on oil guzzling monster
mobikes.
Incredible India and Incredible Indian politicians.
Nagarjuna

http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2008/06/08NEWDELHI1489.html
http://twitter.com/wikileaks

Viewing cable 08NEWDELHI1489, NARAYANAN URGES BETTER BILATERAL
UNDERSTANDING ON
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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08NEWDELHI1489 2008-06-02 10:10 2011-02-01 21:09 CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi

VZCZCXRO8644
OO RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHNE #1489/01 1541054
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 021054Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1973
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNNSG/NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1485
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 6470


C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 001489

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2018
TAGS: PREL PARM TSPL PTER KNNP ETTC ENRG TRGY IN
IR, PK
SUBJECT: NARAYANAN URGES BETTER BILATERAL UNDERSTANDING ON
TERRORISM TO SENATORS FEINGOLD AND CASEY Classified By: Ambassador
David Mulford for Reasons 1.4 (B and D)

1.(C) Summary: National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan told Senators
Russ Feingold and Bob Casey May 30 that the U.S.-India relationship
amounts to much more than just trade links and defense deals, but
rather benefits from a mutual empathy. Asked about terrorism,
Narayanan related that training camps on the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border have attracted more "white faces." He also noted jihadi groups
have attempted to acquire fissile material and have the technical
competence to manufacture an explosive device beyond a mere dirty
bomb. Narayanan lamented that national intelligence agencies lack a
common understanding at a time when an incident such as the 2006
blasts in Mumbai involved planning and fundraising in up to 11
different countries. Regarding the May 13 blasts in Jaipur, Narayanan
divulged that India has narrowed the suspects to the Harkat-ul-Jihad
Islami (HUJI). On Iran, Narayanan asserted that India also wanted to
prevent a nuclear weapons program, but he criticized the use of
sanctions as ineffective, given the "unique" Shi'ite ability to absorb
punishment. Narayanan relayed the government's intention to maintain a
dialogue and normalize relations with Pakistan, as shown by the effort
to play down the increase in cross-border infiltration in recent
weeks. End Summary.

Motorcycles for Mangos - - -

2.(C) Senator Russ Feingold began the May 30 meeting with Senator Bob
Casey and National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan by urging a
reduction in tariffs on Harley Davidson motorcycles. Narayanan
responded that the Prime Minister is "the most liberal economist you
can think of," and he promised to pass the message to him and other
relevant officials.

U.S. and India Have Natural Empathy - - -

3.(C) Narayanan remarked that neither Senators Feingold and Casey have
traveled to India before, and he urged them to see more of the country
than Delhi. He described the U.S.-India relationship as much more than
trade links and defense deals, but enjoying a special "empathy" that
has increased as nearly every middle-class family has a relative in
the U.S. These ties will create a lasting relationship that, Narayanan
maintained, will not change.

The Role of NSA - - -

4.(C) Senator Feingold asked about the role of the National Security
Advisor and how Narayanan can pursue national security goals given the
decentralized nature of India's political system. Narayanan replied
that the government had revived the position of National Security
Advisor (NSA) in 1998 after a brief stint in 1990. The NSA, who
presides over the National Security Council, derives authority from
his association with the Prime Minister, a position that historically
has held great influence thanks to the legacy established by
Jawarharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, Narayanan explained. "In a sense,
I live in the shadow of the Prime Minister," he stated, which allows
him to cut across party loyalties and appeal to diverse interests.

Terrorism Challenge Requires Better Cooperation - - -

5.(C) Senator Feingold inquired about major security threats in the
region, and particularly Narayanan's thoughts on the May 13 Jaipur
blasts and Kashmir. Narayanan observed that the U.S. no longer ignores
terrorist attacks that occur in India because it has adopted a more
"cooperative angle" to face this common threat. He related that Indian
intelligence has detected various targets, including southern and
northeast Europe, Somalia and the Middle East, but not the U.S. Non-
state actors will intensify their asymmetric warfare, he predicted,
and pointed to the increase in "white recruits" detected by Indian
intelligence in terrorist training camps along the Pakistan-
Afghanistan borders. Those recruits will not be used against India or
Asian nations, he NEW DELHI 00001489 002 OF 003 pointed out, adding
that he has warned his counterparts of the development. He also
related that India has found a "manifest attempt to get fissile
material," though terrorist groups have not yet acquired any. However,
he warned, they have "enough physics to fabricate a crude bomb beyond
a dirty bomb."

6.(C) Narayanan perceived the lack of "adequate understanding" among
intelligence agencies as the greatest weakness in the war on terror.
"We keep our cards close to our chest, but it is extremely counter-
productive," he lamented, recognizing that the fault is "equally
shared." He cited the 2006 Mumbai blasts, which involved up to 11
countries, and at least seven distinct places where planning occurred.
He noted that he made the pitch during his visit to Washington for
greater information sharing, even of bits and pieces. "What might not
make sense to you might make sense to me," he pressed. He indicated
that he would raise intelligence sharing during the visit of the
upcoming visit of the Director of National Intelligence. He also
observed that jihadis no longer come from just the poorer segment of
the Muslim population, but rather from the upper crust of a community
that feels threatened in face of Muslim integration in India.

HUJI To Blame For Jaipur - - -

7.(C) Narayanan pinned the blame for the May 13 Jaipur explosions on
the Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HUJI), a Bangladeshi offshoot of the
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), noting that HUJI also masterminded the August
2007 blasts in Hyderabad, which employed similar triggers, packaging
and devices as the Jaipur blasts. He noted that the Indian government
had focused on threats to Maharashtra and Gujarat, but had no
indication that Jaipur would be a target. No Nuclear Weapons, Nor
Sanctions, For Iran - - -

8.(C) Senator Casey expressed concern about the uranium enrichment
program in Iran and asked about India's policy on Iran's nuclear
program. Narayanan pointed out that India and Iran have enjoyed
civilizational links, India contains the second-largest Shi'ite
population in the world, and any event in Iran could impact India
because of their close geographic proximity. However, Narayanan
maintained, the Indian government has "bitten the bullet" and held the
view that Iran should abide by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
(NPT), an unpopular position in India. During Iranian President
Ahmadinejad's recent visit to Delhi, the Prime Minister told him to
that India expects Iran to behave responsibly, Narayanan related.
However, Narayanan saw the U.S. and India diverging on the issue of
sanctions. He explained that the Shia clergy are more "sophisticated
and erudite" than their Sunni counterparts. At the same time, he
added, the Shia have a tremendous capacity to absorb punishment. "Self-
flagellation comes to them naturally," Narayanan commented. The
imposition of sanctions punishes ordinary people, who then turn their
anger outward, he said. Narayanan contended that encouraging Iran to
join the mainstream would produce more results. "We are cautious about
adhering to a broad attack on Iran, but we do not favor nuclear
weapons in Iran," Narayanan clarified.

India To Play Down Recent Infiltration from Pakistan - - -

9.(C) Senator Casey recounted his recent visit to Pakistan, where he
heard several promises about cracking down on border crossings. Should
the U.S. put stock in these pledges, he asked Narayanan. Narayanan
noted that under President Musharraf from 2004 to 2006, the Composite
Dialogue moved forward and infiltration dropped. The political crisis
in Pakistan in 2007 stalled progress, he noted. He said that he was
"hopeful" the new leadership would continue to see dialogue as useful,
and not just as "something that Musharraf did." The recent Foreign
Minister meetings in Islamabad helped ensure that the new government
would sustain the Composite Dialogue, Narayanan recounted. However, he
regretted that infiltration and incidents have spiked recently. He
related that the Indian government has played NEW DELHI 00001489 003
OF 003 them down and not lodged a formal protest, deciding instead to
treat them as a "temporary aberration." He remembered that hostility
between India and Pakistan had dropped to such an extent that Pakistan
had at one time withdrawn some of its military from the India-Pakistan
border in order to focus on the threats along the border with
Afghanistan, but those forces have since returned to the Indian
border.

Peace Deals With Terrorists - - -

10.(C) Asked by Senator Casey how India felt about the pacts signed
between the Pakistani Army and tribal groups, Narayanan replied that
the Indian government does not consider them conducive to peace.
Instead, he stated, "they are out-sourcing terror." He acknowledged
that the U.S. understands this stance, but the British seem to think
that the peace deals are a good move. Instead, Narayanan cautioned,
the deals will allow the tribal groups to re-energize by withdrawing
the pressure under which they might have relented. Pakistan needs its
army to hem those groups in, he stressed. Narayanan also advised the
U.S. to fight the war on the ground and avoid an air war, which he
doubted would work against tribal groups. Senator Feingold said that
he shared Narayanan's concerns about the peace agreements.

11.(C) Senator Feingold related that, during his May 28 visit to
Islamabad, Pakistanis refrained from using harsh words to describe
India. Warmer relations would be a new development for most Americans,
Senator Feingold noted. Narayanan recognized that the importance of
building a secure and stable Afghanistan has exposed the U.S. to
concerns that India has held for many years. This was an important
shift in the U.S., Narayanan asserted.

Comment: Pakistan Relations Remain Positive - - -

12.(C) A week after External Affairs Minister Mukherjee visited
Islamabad, the Indian government appears reassured by the new
Pakistani leadership's stated desire to sustain the dialogue that
Musharraf had maintained. Narayanan's description of the effort to
downplay the growth in incursions clearly aims to give the new
leadership in Islamabad breathing room. However, if India experiences
another attack on the scale of Jaipur or several more weeks of
heightened violence and infiltration activity on the border, the
pressure will mount on India to show its displeasure in public.

13.(SBU) This cable was cleared by Codel Feingold.
MULFORD